A meeting was organized today (19) at the District Secretariat Auditorium to inform principals about the School Safety Committee (Surekum Pawwa) program, which is being implemented jointly by the National Child Protection Authority and the Ministry of Education.

The primary objectives of establishing school safety committees centered around schools include protecting children from all forms of child abuse, confidentially identifying children who have been victims of abuse and ensuring the necessary care and protection for them, identifying children who are lagging behind in the educational process at the class level and providing necessary counseling, and enhancing the relationship between children, parents and teachers.

Although these school child protection committees were established in 2011, they have been slow to function due to various reasons. In order to bring these committees back to a functional level, awareness was held for fifty principals in the Kegalle Education Zone today.

At the event, Attorney-at-Law Sathira Waidyasekara presented information on the legal system related to child abuse and protection, while the Principal of Kegalle Balika Vidyalaya shared practical experiences on creating a child-friendly school environment in schools and its positive effects.

The District Child Protection Officer Vinodani Kulathunga and District Psychosocial Officer Chathurika Bandara along with the District Children's Division had jointly organized this awareness campaign.

The event was attended by District Secretary/Government Agent Ranjana Jayasinghe, Additional District Secretary K.G.S. Nishantha, Principals, District Children's Division officers, Kegalle and Mawanella Child Protection Officers and a group of others.